Wiping contact for a toroidal core winder



Dec. 13, 1966 P. J. POST 3,291,402

WIPING' CONTACT FOR A TORODIAL CORE WINDER Filed Sept. 10, 1964 ja I 60J5 37 565/ INVENTOR. PAUL JFPOJT ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,291,402 WIPING CONTACT FOR A TOROIDAL CORE WINDER Paul J. Post, Acton,Mass., assignor to Leesona Corporation, Warwick, R.I., a corporation ofMassachusetts Filed Sept. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 395,495 8 Claims. (Cl.242-4) This invention relates to an improved wiping contact especiallyfor use in toroidal core winders of the automatic, impedance matchingtype.

' A winder of this type is disclosed in US. Patent 2,697,- 559 to Scarceof Dec. 21, 1954 and in general includes an electrically conductive,annular, wire carrying shuttle interlinked in the core to be wound androtatably supported and driven by a plurality of V-groove sheaves. Theautomatic impedance matching device includes two terminals, oneconnected to the start lead of the coil to be wound on the core and theother connected by a wiping contact to the shuttle.

In devices of this type, the strand being wound is often fragile and isusually discharged from the exterior peripheral slot of the shuttle. Thewiping contact must rotate freely without substantial friction and mustmaintain a good electrical connection at all times despite fatigue ofthe Spring, wear of the contact faces and impact of any sliders orguides on the shuttle.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide an improvedwiping contact for a wire carrying, annular shuttle which will not heatup in use to the extent of binding of the parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wiping contact formed byone of the V-groove supporting sheaves of -a wire-carrying shuttle, thesheave on one side being formed of relatively hard, electricallyconducting metal and on the other side being formed of softernon-conducting material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rugged, long lastingtrouble free wiping contact including a spring loaded brush engaging theside face of a sheave and means for adjusting the pressure of thespring.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from theclaims, the description of the drawing and from the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, in half section of the improved wipingcontact of the invention,

FIG. 2 is :a diagrammatic view on a reduced scale, showing theconnection of the core, coil and shuttle to the terminals leading to aninductance measuring device, and

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1, but with theflange, sleeve bearing and sheave turned to a different angularposition.

In FIGURE 2 a conventional toroidal core winder 21 is illustrateddiagrammatically, there being the usual clamp mechanism, not shown, forsupporting the toroidal core 22 to be wound, the usual annular, wirecarrying, electrically conducting shuttle 23 interlinked in the core andthe usual V-groove shuttle supporting sheaves, or pulleys, 24, 25, 26and 27. The idler and drive sheaves are electrically insulated in ordernot to interfere with the conventional inductance measuring deviceindicated generally at 28. The terminals 30 and 31 lead to theinductance measuring device 28, the start lead 32, of the coil 33 withinthe shuttle, being connected to terminal 30 and the improved wipingcontact means 34, of the invention, being connected to terminal 31. Asthus far described the device is similar to that shown in the said US.Patent 2,697,559, and improves thereover in the design of the wipingcontact 34 while otherwise operating in the manner of the mechanism ofthe patent.

As best shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, the wiping contact means 34 includesan idler sheave 35 substantially identical in V-groove configuration tothe sheaves 24, 25, 26 and 27, the exterior face 36 of shuttle 23 ridingin the V-groove 37. The sheave 35 is freely rotatable on suitable ballbearings 38, supported on a machine screw 39 threaded in the flange 40which is integral with a hollow sleeve bearing 41. Sleeve bearing 41 ispreferably a hollow cylinder :angularly movable in recess 43 in acylindrical housing 44, and the housing fits within a suitable recess 45in the non-conductive face plate 46 of the winder. A set screw 47permits the flange to be turned to various angular positions as desired,thereby adjusting the offset sheave to a variety of shuttle contactingpositions around the axis of the sleeve 41. The outer end 49 of sleeve41 is open and positioned alongside, and proximate the inner face ofsheave 35.

Preferably sheave 35 is formed of two truncated conical halves 50 and51, the half 50 being formed of beryllium copper of about 95 B Rockwellin hardness, indicated at 52, and having the inclined, shuttlecontacting face 53 and the brush contact face 54 which is normal to theaxis of rotation of the sheave. The other half 51 of the sheave 35,includes at least the outer annular peripheral portion 55, which asshown is a lining, formed of a relatively softer material 56, preferablyneoprene, having a hardness of about 70 durometer. Thus the inclinedface 57 of the half 51 is hard enough so that it will not wear downunduly but soft enough so that it will not damage the wire of coil 33.While the entire half 50 is shown as of the material 52, the outerannular, peripheral, portion 58 thereof, corresponding to the portion 55of half 51, could be of the material 52 and the inner portion of anothermaterial. It will be apparent that the exterior of the conductiveshuttle 23, or the interior thereof if support were from inside theshuttle, which is in intimate rolling contact with the inclined face 53of the half 50 at all times will electrically connect the core, coil andshuttle to the brush contact face 54.

The spring loaded brush means 60, of the wiping contact means 34,includes a brush 61 slida-bly axially within the hollow sleeve 41 alonga path normal to the path of rotation of sheave 35 and in parallelismwith the axis of rotation of the sheave defined by the screw 39. Brush61 is preferably a solid cylinder of silver impregnated carbon material62, which is electrically conducting, the flat end face 63 of the brushbeing alongside the path of the sheave and proximate the peripherythereof so as to engage the brush contact face 54. The other end face 64of brush 61 includes a neck 65 of reduced diameter, encircled by one end66 of a coil spring 67, of electrically conducting copper, while theopposite end 68 of spring 67 abuts on a brass adjusting screw 69threaded in the threads 70 of housing 44.

The coil spring 67 thus spring loads the brush 61 toward the adjacentface 54 of the sheave and maintains continuous electric contacttherewith despite wear and avoids the possibility of frictional heatcausing any binding of the parts. By means of adjusting screw 69, thepressure of the spring can be increased or decreased as desired and anywear on the fiat face 63 can be compensated by turning the screw. Thescrew 69 is connected by the conductor 72 to the terminal 31 to completethe circuit from terminal 30, the core 22, coil 33, shuttle 23, portion50 of sheave 35, brush 61, spring 67 and adjusting screw 69.

I claim:

1. In combination with a toroidal core winder of the type having anannular, electrically conducting, wire carrying shuttle rotatablysupported on a plurality of rotatable, V-groove sheaves, said shuttlebeing interlinked in a core, and having an inductance measuring devicewith two terminals, one connected to the start lead of the coil to bewound on the shuttle and the other connected to a wiping contact on saidshuttle;

improved wiping contact means comprising:

one of said V-groove sheaves having at least an annular peripheralportion on one side thereof formed of electrically conducting material,said conductive portion having an inclined face in engagement with theexterior of said shuttle and a brush-contact face normal to the axis ofrotation of said sheave, and

spring loaded brush means of electrically conducting material mountedalongside the path of said annular, peripheral portion of said sheave,and electrically connected to said other terminal, said brush meansincluding an end face bearing against said brushcontact face of saidsheave;

said electrically conducting portion of said sheave and said brush meansconnecting the coil wound on said shuttle and core into the circuit ofsaid inductance measuring device throughout the entire winding operationof said winder.

2. A combination as specified in claim 1 wherein:

said sheave is formed of two truncated conical halves,

one said half being entirely of relatively hard, electrically conductingmetal, with the outer portion constituting said annular peripheralportion, and the other half being of relatively soft, yieldable,nonelectrically conducting material.

3. A combination as specified in claim 1 wherein:

said sheave is formed of two truncated conical halves;

one said half being formed of beryllium copper of 95 B Rockwellhardness, said annular peripheral portion constituting the outer portionof said half,

and the other said half being formed of neoprene with a 70-75 durometerhardness,

4. A combination as specified in claim 1 wherein:

said annular peripheral portion is of beryllium copper,

and

said brush means is of silver impregnated carbon.

5. A combination as specified in claim 1 wherein:

said spring loaded brush means comprises:

an insulated housing;

a hollow sleeve bearing within said housing, one open end thereof beingproximate the brush-contact face of said sheave;

a brush of solid, electrically conducting material axially slidablewithin said sleeve and having a flat end face adapted to engage saidbrush-contact face, and

a coil spring within said housing and engaging the 5 other end face ofsaid brush for urging said brush toward said brush-contact face.

6. A combination as specified in claim 5 plus:

threaded adjustment means in said housing, cooperable with said coilspring for adjusting the pressure thereof against said brush.

7. A combination as specified in claim 1 plus:

at least an annular peripheral portion on the other side of said sheaveformed of neoprene, said neoprene portion having an inclined face inengagement with the exterior of said shuttle, and

said neoprene having a hardness of about 70-75 durometer for avoidingdamage to the wire wound on said shuttle.

8. An improved wiping contact for the shuttle of a toroidal core winderof the automatic impedance matching type said contact comprising:

a V-groove sheave, supporting said shuttle, the inner, inclined shuttlecontacting portion thereof being formed of beryllium copper and theouter inclined shuttle contacting portion thereof being formed ofneoprene;

a solid cylindrical brush, of silver impregnated carbon, mounted forsliding movement in a path normal to the path of rotation of saidsheave, said brush having an end face adapted to engage the adjacentface of said inner beryllium copper portion, and

adjustable spring means continuously urging said brush toward saidsheave for maintaining contact therewith despite wear.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,697,559 12/1954Scarce et al. 242, 5 2,863,609 12/1958 Link 242-4 3,181,803 5/1965Warburton et al 242-4 FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

B. S. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A TOROIDAL CORE WINDER OF THE TYPE HAVING ANANNULAR, ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING, WIRE CARRYING SHUTTLE ROTATABLYSUPPORTED ON A PLURALITY OF ROTATABLE, V-GROOVE SHEAVES, SAID SHUTTLEBEING INTERLINKED IN A CORE, AND HAVING AN INDUCTANCE MEASURING DEVICEWITH TWO TERMINALS, ONE CONNECTED TO THE START LEAD OF THE COIL TO BEWOUND ON THE SHUTTLE AND THE OTHER CONNECTED TO A WIPING CONTACT ON SAIDSHUTTLE; IMPROVED WIPING CONTACT MEANS COMPRISING: ONE OF SAID V-GROOVESHEAVES HAVING AT LEAST AN ANNULAR PERIPHERAL PORTION OF ONE SIDETHEREOF FORMED OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING MATERIAL, SAID CONDUCTIVEPORTION HAVING AN INCLINED FACE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EXTERIOR OF SAIDSHUTTLE AND A BRUSH-CONTACT FACE NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAIDSHEAVE, AND SPRING LOADED BRUSH MEANS OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTINGMATERIAL MOUNTED ALONGSIDE THE PATH OF SAID ANNULAR, PERIPHERAL PORTIONOF SAID SHEAVE, AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER TERMINAL, SAIDBRUSH MEANS INCLUDING AN END FACE BEARING AGAINST SAID BRUSHCONTACT FACEOF SAID SHEAVE; SAID ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING PORTION OF SAID SHEAVE ANDSAID BRUSH MEANS CONNECTING THE COIL WOUND ON SAID SHUTTLE AND CORE INTOTHE CIRCUIT OF AND INDUCTANCE MEANSURING DEVICE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIREWINDING OPERATION OF SAID WINDING.